Here you go baseball fans – your complete Rogers Centre seating guide, full of tips to help you find the best seats at the Blue Jays ballpark for your taste and budget. Whether you’re visiting Rogers Centre for the first time, or you’re a regular, there’s plenty of info here to help you get the most bang for your buck.

There’s a lot of good seats in Rogers Centre, there are some really bad seats, and there’s things to know about the cheap seats and standing room. I recommend you stay with me here, it’s all valuable and I hope you enjoy it. (I even put the links in Blue Jays blue for you.) ????

This is long, so I’ve broken down my best Rogers Centre seating tips:

Rogers Centre Seating Chart + Layout
Luxury + Party Suites
In The Action Seats
TD Comfort Clubhouse
Lower (100) Level
Mezzanine (200) Level
Upper (500) Level
Outfield Seats + The Worst Seats at Rogers Centre
Standing Room
WestJet Flight Deck
Restaurants + Hotel
A Few More Rogers Centre Seating Tips

So after this short word from our sponsor, will get started…and thanks so much for supporting my sponsors!

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“But they’re all blue! How am I supposed to pick one?”

Rogers Centre Seating Tips, #1) Seating Chart + Ballpark Layout.

The Blue Jays kindly provide a virtual venue seating map on their website, and it does offer views from each section. I’m not being critical of it, it’s definitely helpful, but there are some extra things to know.

Rogers Centre has five levels of seating, each with its own concourse that circles the ballpark. The 300 and 400 levels are luxury suite levels and the 100, 200, and 500 levels are for the rest of us. The 100 level is the field level seating; the 200 level is the mezzanine and is further back from the 100 seats. The 500 level is the upper deck – or the “SkyDeck” as it was once aptly called.

Hmmm…my Spidey sense tells me that Section 235 could be on either side!

Unlike most ballparks, Rogers numbers aisles rather than sections, and an L or R is added to the aisle number on the ticket to denote which side of the aisle the seat is. Lower numbered aisles are on the first base/right field side.

Facing home plate, seats in each row start with seat 1 on the left side, and seat 101 on the right side, so any seat that ends with a 1 is an aisle seat. Seats 10 and 110 could be next to each other.

Juuuust so you know where it is, they’ve helpfully labeled the WestJet Flight Deck for you.

The WestJet Flight Deck patio is on the 200 level underneath the big scoreboard; the Marriott Hotel rooms are on the 300, 400, and 500 levels.

Here is the lowdown on the different seating areas of Rogers Centre, starting with the most expensive and working down to cheap seats the rest of us riffraff can afford:

Rolling chairs and a counter with outlets, for that “watch a ballgame while at work” feel!

Rogers Centre Seating, Tip #2) Luxury Suites.

There are 95 luxury suites at Rogers Centre on the 300 and 400 levels; they are available for a season, a multi-game plan, or for a single game; they have a considerably lower rate for season tickets, so you might be able to swing a deal on a third party site like TickPick.

The suites include interior leather seats and two rows of cushioned exterior seating, with counters, barstools and drink rails behind the glass inside, private bathrooms, customized catering from a menu with a wide selection (costs extra), and of course TVs both inside and outside to watch the game you’re paying hundreds of dollars to see in person.

Plenty of space for a game of pool with your baseball!

For the big groups there is the Summit Suite, along the third base line in the 400 level. These include TVs and pool tables for the full baseball experience. The Summit has north and south sides that can be combined for one big and expensive party.

If you want to throw a party for folks who don’t mind paying a nice chunk of change, there are party rooms on the 400 level in the outfield that include food in the cost. The price isn’t too awful for this, but the view of the game isn’t great.

Baseball loves sick kids.

When the late Roy Halladay was a Blue Jay he offered the Jays Care Community Clubhouse suite to disadvantaged children for games; the Jays continued this policy, so if you are running an organization for kids you can have a look at giving them the suite treatment for a game.

“Ooh…I think I see Geddy!”

Rogers Centre Seating, Tip #3) In The Action Seats.

The “In The Action” seats are comfortable, padded and large, and the Jays mean it; these seats are literally on the field of play, with two rows behind home plate and one each past the dugouts, separated from the other seating. Definitely watch out for foul balls (and fielders going for them, for that matter) in the dugout seats—it’s almost like you’re another infielder. Don’t do a Bartman.

The best seats in Rogers Centre, of course, include an in-seat waitress along with food and non-alcoholic beverages, and there’s an outside chance you could be sitting near a Toronto celebrity like Geddy Lee. (I hear Geddy signs autographs before the game, but he requests being left alone once it starts, in case you’re wondering.)

For an extra couple of bucks, they’ll even move the ladder for you.

In The Action seats are sold on a season ticket basis for over $200 a game (which truthfully isn’t bad compared to similar seats in some parks). You can sometimes score a deal for these on TickPick, so have a look a few hours before the game.

Ticket holders are allowed access to the TD Comfort Clubhouse and its gourmet buffet. Speaking of that…

It’s not the cushions you pay more for, it’s the considerably larger than ballpark size armrests!

Rogers Centre Seating, Tip #4) The TD Comfort Clubhouse.

The TD Comfort Clubhouse area is in the 200 level mezzanine behind home plate. This lounge features several booths and tables to enable folks to sit with a meal and watch the game, and there are also barstools with counters and leather sofas with a nice view of the action.

There are several TVs in the area to help you see what’s going on in front of you. If you are having dinner in one of the booths, they recommend reservations.

Please don’t spill your drink on the person in front of you with a smaller salary.

The padded seats in front of the Clubhouse are also for season ticket holders only, but the per game price surprisingly isn’t too bad, especially when a gourmet buffet, full bar, private bathroom and in-seat wait service is thrown in with access to the club. There’s even a wine list and a sommelier (someday I hope to have a need for a “sommelier”) to help you choose the best wine.

You can sometimes score these for a low demand game on TickPick for under $100 CAD, a great price.

The seats come in different colors, but they all work equally well.

Rogers Centre Seating, Tip #5) The Lower (100) Level.

Between the foul poles on the lower level are three pricing levels. Premium Dugout is the first 20 rows of sections between the dugouts; Field Level Infield is behind the Premium Dugout and one extra section on either side, and Field Level Bases extend from the bases to the foul poles. There are about 40 rows in most sections.

Field Level Bases are significantly cheaper than Infield, so you can save some bucks by moving one section over.

The slightly padded Premium Dugout seats cost only a couple of bucks more than the Field Level seats behind them, so if you’re handing out that much money you might as well fork over a little extra for a closer, padded seat with a cup holder if you can.

If you’re having a hard time finding something close to the field behind home plate, start looking further down at the Bases seats, because the price for Row 1 in these sections is the same as the last row.

Note the increased level of caution while finding a seat.

The angle of seating is steep enough in the lower level that you shouldn’t have a problem seeing over anyone, but the steps are a little higher too, so smaller people especially should be a bit careful. Thankfully, even the last rows don’t lose the scoreboard to the overhang, so no need to worry about that in Row 40.

Wide open for seat poaching!

In the corners near the foul pole, the seating is lowered and you need to use a walkway behind the seats to get to them. This is apparently is too much of a hassle for many fans, because these sections can be fairly empty on low attendance nights…and are a good place to improve your view if you have lesser seats.
 

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Good for shade too, which might be a good thing. Or not.

Rogers Centre Seating, Tip #6) The Mezzanine (200) Level.

The 200 level seats in the infield are no longer cushioned unfortunately, but the view is fairly nice even though your seats are further back from the field level seating. They cost about the same as 100 level seats, so your choice is between a closer seat or a slightly wider one with a cup holder (cup holders to me are worth about $8—or the cost of a soda and the peanuts whose shells will end up in the cup).

And the star second baseman was kind enough to autograph the wall.

The 200 level has its own concourse and concession areas, including the 12 Bar named for Roberto Alomar’s number. You can enjoy a drink at a table with a view at the 12 Bar, if you get tired of your seat. Unfortunately, the concession lines aren’t shorter on this level like you would think…long lines are unfortunately a part of life here.

Like with the 100 level, sections are divided into “Infield” and “Bases”, and again, the difference in price is significant, so it might be worth moving a section over.

For day games most of the upper rows of the 200 sections are usually covered in shade.

They may not have the best view of the game, but they’re happy.

Rogers Centre Seating, Tip #7) Outfield Seating (and the worst seats).

Outfield seats are cheaper than most here, but know that once you get about eight rows up you’re under the mezzanine overhang, and unless you’re in the front of the outer sections, you’ll lose sight of the big scoreboard, although there are TVs there to see any missed action.

The outfield sections are behind both bullpens, so you have a neat view of pitchers warming up, but your chances of catching a home run ball are slim, even during batting practice. If you want to do your part for the Jays and heckle the opposing team’s pitchers, the visitors’ bullpen is in right field.

There are about 12 rows in the outfield sections; the last couple of rows on both levels feel more like part of the concourse than the game.

This is just me. Your mileage may vary.

In the 100 level outfield seats, for some reason, there is a shortage of leg room. I don’t know why this is the case, but I would avoid it if you’re over six feet long like me.

In the 200 level in the outfield, the higher rows are next to pillars, and if you’re in the wrong spot you could lose a good portion of the field. Some seats are single seats with a wall on one side and the aisle on the other; avoid these at all costs.

In championship years, fans were actually willing to sit in the concourse.

You should also stay away from higher rows; if you must have a higher row than 6, try to get something in the middle of a section, e.g. something that doesn’t end in 1-3.

There aren’t a lot of concession stands on either of the outfield areas of the concourse, although the patio in the outfield has a couple of bars with snacks. There is a stairway to get there from the lower level.

As you can see I’m not a big fan of outfield seats in Rogers Centre. Given the choice I might just get standing room and maybe poach a seat somewhere.

Yes, they’re high up, but clearly many fans don’t mind.

Rogers Centre Seating, Tip #7) Upper (500) Level – Cheap Seats!

The upper 500 level was called the SkyDeck in the SkyDome years, and you’ll see why when you’re up there. The SkyDeck seats take a long walk on dark, boring ramps to get to if you’re not using an elevator, the seats are very high and the angle is one of the steepest I’ve experienced.

If you don’t mind all of this, the panoramic view of everything is definitely better behind home plate than in the outfield, and these are easily the cheapest seats; the best part is that ticket prices are nearly the same throughout the entire level. If you get a lower row (which is a bit tougher to do), the view of the action isn’t bad at all.

The good news is, there’s no one standing in front of you.

There are a couple of obstructed view problems: the first is that seats ending in 1 could lose some of the field to the stairway railing, which usually isn’t a big deal (the Blue Jays will alert you to this if you are selecting seats from their site); the other is with the scary high seats down the right field line behind light fixtures, where there are often more birds than fans anyway.

It’s the trip down those steps that’s nerve wracking. You should really want to be here for these seats.

There are 25-27 rows in most of the 500 level sections, and the right field sections can have as many as 37. To put it mildly, yikes. If you do end up with seats this high, prepare for a nerve-wracking trip down the steps…I found that to be the scariest part of it.

The only other problem with the upper level seating, other than the acrophobia, is that the food selection isn’t quite as great, and for low attendance games some stands will be closed. If you’re up here and looking for something beyond hot dogs or pizza, you’re better off getting something downstairs first.

Yes, it may take two seconds to actually hear the crack of the bat. But there is shade.

Upper level sections in the outfield obviously have a poor view, but for most games you won’t likely be relegated out there. If it’s a high demand game and you have a choice, though, these are better than 200 level outfield seats, IMHO.

Nice open place to stand, with TVs yet!

Rogers Centre Seating, Tip #8) Standing Room.

For most games you should be able to find some place to sit, but should no seat be adequate, the 100 level has an open concourse (the 200 and 500 levels do not), so you can stand most anywhere and be able to see the game, although the overhang blocks the view of the Big Board. There are TVs on the concourses as well.

You might find folding chairs in the handicapped areas behind sections, but the Blue Jays usually lock them up.

Yes, they once designated standing room spots here.

Other than the 12 Bar and the Bacardi Bar, which have some seats to sit in if you’re early enough, there is other standing room space in the 200 level in the outfield behind the seats, which is even marked as such, humorously reminding you that people would have done anything to get in during the World Series years. This is a lousy standing spot; just stay on the 100 concourse.

Truly, you do not have to stand behind the Budweiser sign.

Rogers Centre Seating, Tip #9) The WestJet Flight Deck.

The Blue Jays knocked out the Windows restaurant in center field, and replaced it with a standing room party area. Anyone with a ticket can hang out on the WestJet Flight Deck.

The outfield bar has three levels. There is a drink rail to lean on and bar tables to sit drinks on behind them. It gets crowded quickly, so stake a good spot and have someone large with you to guard it for bathroom trips. There are bars serving drinks and snacks on either side in the concourse area and a souvenir shop. There’s also a kids play area behind the standing area.

Your date will be duly impressed with having your own table at the Blue Jays game!

In my own humble opinion, the view is slightly better higher up for some reason. People can meet under the Rogers or Budweiser signs in the outfield patio, but the view behind the signs is not good for obvious reasons.

Someone paid the very high price for a room with a view of a ballgame, and closed their shades.

Rogers Centre Seating, Tip #10) The Restaurants + Hotel.

If you’re looking for a unique experience at a Blue Jays game and have the means, you can order a room with a field view in the attached Marriott Hotel, or reserve a table next to the window at the Sportsnet Grill restaurant in the outfield and hear the radio broadcast. (Unfortunately the Sightlines restaurant is no more.)

I could talk a lot more about this, but or seating perspective purposes, it is a neat experience but you will be high up and in the outfield…and far away. So while the view is spectacular in general it isn’t the best from the fan’s perspective, and none of these options enable you to access the rest of the ballpark.

Note that even the light fixtures can provide some shade here.

Rogers Centre Seating – A Few More Tips.

The sun goes down on the third base side at Rogers, so if you want to be in the sun the first base side is better, and if you want to be out of the sun third is best. In Toronto, both options can be preferable given the Ontario climate. Because of the roof, all of the outfield seats are in the shade. The 200 level seats are far more likely to be in the shade than 100 level.

It’s not THAT much further than the hotel rooms…

On the third base side you will have a splendid view of the CN Tower, the 1,800 foot “world’s tallest tower” next door, which is extra cool when it’s illuminated at night. But the view from the first base side isn’t bad either, with high rise buildings overlooking the field, and sometimes people do watch from there like a very wealthy person’s version of the Wrigley rooftops. Obviously you need the dome open for this view.

Not only can you bring the kids, you’ll have the whole alcohol-free section to yourself!

There are alcohol-free sections at Blue Jays games; they are Sections 141-142 on the lower level, 237-238 on the mezzanine, and the first 14 rows of 520-521. (Anyone who makes it to the 15th row of the 500 level deserves a beer.) These sections tend to be empty on low demand nights, so if you go alcohol-free you can have them almost to yourself.

I don’t know why Blue Jays fans won’t use this walkway, but maybe it’s eerily lonesome.

When the Blue Jays aren’t having a playoff-bound season, you can usually move to a better seat with little trouble, so long as you don’t try to get into the lower sections behind home plate. The upper level and the outermost sections of the lower level often have plenty of empty seats, so you can usually grab one. I’ve never read any stories of people being ejected for poaching seats, so it’s not a big risk.

Now you know what to do!

Get all that? Sorry if I went a little long, but I wanted to cover all of the details. Rogers Centre was built in an era where teams wanted to maximize the number of seats, and as a result there’s quite a few to avoid.

Hope I was able to help and you enjoyed the read. If you need more Rogers Centre help, check out my posts about parking at the Green P spots, bringing food into Rogers Centre, and some things to know if you’re visiting Canada.

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Visiting Rogers Centre with kids can be a blast of a time for them, especially on days when the Jays set up an entire playground in the outside plaza. Here’s three things you should know to make it a memorable day for them…

Because nothing says Sunday afternoon baseball like a big inflatable slide.

Rogers Centre With Kids, Tip #1) Do Jr. Jays Sundays. For the kids, the Jays have Jr. Jays Sundays (or Saturdays, it changes from year to year). Of late they’ve been setting up entire playgrounds on some Sundays, with big inflatable bouncy stuff and entertainment in the plaza outside Gates 10-11.

Definitely get out there early for this…it’s a pretty big setup with games, food, people on stilts playing ball with the kids, etc. Don’t miss it…you might not see it coming from Union Station and you have to walk around the Centre a bit.

Inside the ballpark on Jr. Jays days, they have interactive kids’ areas throughout the concourses, pitching and batting cages, video games, face painting and other fun things to keep the kids occupied.

Without doubt it’s the best day of the week to bring the kids, and it draws a big crowd of families. Running the bases is an extremely popular promotion, so expect to be there a while, or…

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What’s the team’s name again?

Rogers Centre With Kids, Tip #2) Join The Fan Club. The Jr. Jays Kids Club doesn’t give deals on tickets like some teams do (Jays tickets are generally pretty cheap already), but as of 2019, you do get a package with a cap, a backpack, sunglasses, a lanyard, and access to members only events.

If your kid is a big fan, it’s worth it, if only for the front of the line access on Run The Bases days. Lines get very long for that and the little ones may get antsy.

Street certified gourmet food! (Seriously, it says so right there on the truck!)

Rogers Centre With Kids, Tip #3) Bring Your Own. If you’re bringing a family and are on a budget, you can save a ton of cash bringing your own food. (Drinks must be sealed.) The Jays are particularly lenient with this policy; people online tell stories about bringing in whole pizzas. (Bonus if you bring in a Boston Pizza!)

I’ve talked about the multiple “street meat” options here, but you also have lots of choices at Union Station to fill up your goody bag, including the always beloved by kids McDonald’s, if you’re arriving that way.

There’s three tips for taking the young ones to Rogers Centre and teaching them about baseball for a better future. If you’re looking to save on tickets when you do, try this post.

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If you’re looking to do a Jays game tightwad style, it’s easy enough…there are already lots of cheap Blue Jays tickets to begin with. You need only be willing to sit in the 500 level somewhere.

But if you’re looking to find deals for wherever you’re sitting, here’s three suggestions for you.

Hmmm…I’m thinking this is the spot.

Cheap Blue Jays Tickets, Tip #1) Use The Box Office. Blue Jays games rarely sell out, especially when the team isn’t in contention. It’s easy enough to order tickets at the box office on game day, saving yourself the considerable online fees.

Here’s a bonus tip for you…the box office close to the Union Station Skywalk is by far the most popular, so try another one to avoid waiting in line. I tried this for a weekend game on a beautiful June day…against the Yankees…and didn’t wait at all.

My friends at TickPick have Blue Jays tickets…they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

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No thanks man…I found mine on TickPick!

Cheap Blue Jays Tickets, Tip #2) Use A Third Party. For low demand games especially, you can often find a better deal for tickets on StubHub or with my affiliate friends at TickPick. The Blue Jays sell a lot of multi-game packages, so fans have lots of extras to unload.

Click here to search for Blue Jays tickets at TickPick and tell ‘em Kurt sent you…they are an affiliate of Ballpark E-Guides.

Because no one’s going to buy a Flex Pack for Mediocre Games.

Cheap Blue Jays Tickets, Tip #3) Get A Multi-Game Pack. There are plenty of deals for those willing to splurge on a few games; the Jays will throw in a few perks with multi-game packs too, like Opening Day or postseason ticket offers and discounts in the team shops.

This is a popular choice with locals; if you plan on going to a few Jays games, get a friend to split the cost and you’ll both save some cash.

Those are three tips for getting your hands on cheap Blue Jays tickets…and while I don’t often recommend patronizing scalpers, they do tend to be plentiful here and can offer you a nice deal if the time is right. But you didn’t hear that from me.

Planning a trip to Toronto? Save a bunch of money on hotels, flights and rental cars…book your trip with my friends at Hotwire! (It’s still Kurt’s favorite!)

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I wouldn’t say that the home of the Blue Jays tops the list in ballparks known for culinary greatness, although they have definitely improved things in recent years. But that there are several different editions of Rogers Centre nachos is impressive to me; chips with stuff piled on them go over pretty well here.

Here are three places where you can get a piled mess of food on chips at the ballpark in Toronto:

With a helpful listing of the ingredients, just in case.

Rogers Centre Nachos, #1) The Muddy York Market. The Muddy York is the large food court at Rogers, and there’s a separate nachos stand where you can actually customize your plate of nachos.

Get a plate of smoked jerk chicken nachos with cheddar cheese sauce, pico de gallo, cole slaw (!), green onions and infused sour cream. Or pile on your own stuff, with toppings like cheese, chicken, salsa, corn, jalapenos, etc. Sour cream and guacamole cost extra (as always)…

My friends at TickPick have Blue Jays tickets…they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

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Nachos with the visual enhancement of smoked meat sitting behind them.

Rogers Centre Nachos, #2) The King Club. At the Budweiser King Club bar area behind home plate is a carved meat station, and you can order “Bases Loaded Nachos”. These babies are covered with beef brisket, BBQ sauce, jalapenos, caramelized onions, pico de gallo, three bean chili (!), and something called “pepper infused sour cream”.

The Muddy York Market has BBQ nachos too, but they’re not as BBQ, if that makes sense.

Please don’t spit these at the umpire.

Rogers Centre Nachos, #3) The 12 Kitchen. The 12 Kitchen is named for star Jays (and Orioles!) second baseman and Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar, and has more of a Latin theme in its food. 12 nachos are made with a mix of plantain and tortilla chips (and rightly so, personally I don’t get the kettle chips thing), covered with adobo spiced chicken, queso franco, guacamole, sour cream and green onions.

They’re kind of Christmasy looking nachos, aren’t they?

Rogers Centre Nachos, #4) Intentional Guac. The Intentional Guac stand is located on the upper level as I write this, sparing SkyDeck patrons a trip down long ramps to the other nachos. And they’re perfectly serviceable nachos in their own right. It’s the gooey cheese type substance and un-pickled jalapenos, but you do get pico de gallo, beans and corn on them. And appropriately given the name of the stand, guac is available too.

The ingredients for these nachos plates could change when you visit, but as I write this these are the three distinct food stands where you can get some variation of nachos at Rogers Centre. It’s among the more popular non-hot dog foods inside this ballpark…but many fans go for the street meat outside too.

Planning a trip to Toronto? Save a bunch of money on hotels, flights and rental cars…book your trip with my friends at Hotwire! (It’s still Kurt’s favorite!)

Click here to start booking your trip to Toronto and Rogers Centre today!

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I highly recommend against driving and parking near Rogers Centre for Blue Jays games. If you don’t have to, don’t. But if you must, try using one of the “Green P” lots.

The Green P lots in Toronto, including the ones for parking near Rogers Centre, are owned by the city and as such offer better rates than most. As far as I can tell, none of them charge “event” rates. Here are my top three picks for a night at the ballpark…after a quick word from our sponsor:

My friends at TickPick have Blue Jays tickets…they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

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This is a pretty nice evening rate for baseball parking.

Green P Lot #1) 40 York Street. I’ll probably get some grief for sharing this favorite spot of fans, but it’s probably the best deal that you’ll find for parking near Rogers Centre. It’s not only cheaper, but the event rate kicks in at 5:00, unlike 6:00 for most lots, so you don’t have to time your arrival so much. It’s a convenient spot too, especially coming from the east. 

With a helpful arrow.

Green P Lot #2) 10 Portland Street. The night rate starts at 6:00 PM for this one, but it’s still fairly convenient at about a half mile from the ballpark, for a ten minute walk, and this one offers a relatively easy out going westbound.

“Municipal” means good rates!

Green P Lot #3) 2 Church Street. If you can’t score a spot at 40 York, this one isn’t bad coming from the east. It’s got over 2,000 spaces and has cheap nightly rates, including a Saturday special of $1/hour for the first two hours. So on Saturday especially you can arrive plenty early for a good spot and still pay a small fee to park for the evening.

One caution about the 40 York and 2 Church Street lots: these are both close to the Air Canada Centre, home of both the Maple Leafs and Raptors. I strongly recommend checking first to see if there is an event there before going…if there is, get there very early or use public transit.

There are other good options for parking near Rogers Centre, but I would advise that you try Green P first, especially if you can walk a little bit.

Planning a trip to Toronto? Save a bunch of money on hotels, flights and rental cars…book your trip with my friends at Hotwire! (It’s still Kurt’s favorite!)

Click here to start booking your trip to Toronto and Rogers Centre today!

(Note: this article contains affiliate links. If you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, Ballpark E-Guides earns a commission, at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support!)

If you’re visiting Rogers Centre in Toronto for the first time, there are a few tips you definitely need to know. The home of the Blue Jays is unique in many ways, some of which present some interesting challenges for the fan.

Foiled by the bicycle rack roadblock again!

Visiting Rogers Centre Tip #1: Consider demand when buying tickets. When the Blue Jays are good, they draw very, very well. That means you should plan ahead and buy from the team first. Most weeknight games against opponents other than the Yankees or Red Sox don’t sell out, so you can pick up tickets at the box office where the fees are lowest.

Should you be looking for a low demand game…say, if the Jays are having a disappointing season…sites like TickPick will help you find the best deal on tickets. Weekends sell far better than weekdays, partly due to the insane rush hour Toronto traffic.

My friends at TickPick have Blue Jays tickets…they offer a best price guarantee, a buyer’s trust guarantee, and NO service fees. Sounds like a no-brainer to me!

Get $10 off your first purchase with email sign-up!

The ushers are fleet of foot in the empty sections.

Visiting Rogers Centre Tip #2: Try the mezzanine level. The mezzanine level at Rogers isn’t as close to the field as you might like, but the seating is much lower than the 500 SkyDeck level, and the seats have cup holders. The seats are around the same price as the field level seating below them, and it will be easier to duck out of the elements there should you have the need.

One caution though, don’t sit in the outfield on the 200 level…way too many ways to lose the view. Stay in the infield if you can.

The Force is with you, young Skywalker.

Visiting Rogers Centre Tip #3: Use public transit (TTC or GO). Rogers is in the heart of downtown Toronto, and there are two major highways that both run south of the ballpark that get jammed at rush hour. During the week especially, you don’t want to be driving there; instead use the TTC from elsewhere in the city or the commuter-friendly GO Transit trains from the suburbs.

The Yonge-University-Spadina line of the TTC stops at Union Station; all of the GO lines from every direction also stop there. Union Station is a short walk to the ballpark through a covered walkway, and there’s a whole lot of cheap places to fill up a pre-game doggy bag.

If you do decide to drive to the ballpark, book your parking beforehand…

Never Drive To Rogers Centre Without A Plan…

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Note the gentleman’s backpack, suitable for carrying veggie dogs.

Visiting Rogers Centre Tip #4: Get the street meat. Rogers Centre has great food items, especially if you’re into nachos…check them out at the Muddy York Market, the King Club or at the 12 Bar. But to get a good-sized dog at a much cheaper price, Torontonians will tell you to get the “street meat”…dogs from the numerous hot dog carts that surround the stadium.

You can get a good-sized dog for about half the cost of one inside, and you can pile on a great choice of condiments. There are even veggie dogs from Yves out there if you look. If you want more variety, check out Front Street north of the ballpark; there are always some unique food trucks there.

Really? You’ve been expecting moi?

Visiting Rogers Centre Tip #5: Remember you’re a foreigner (if you’re visiting Canada). Toronto isn’t very different from most baseball cities, but remember a few things…like checking with your phone service provider about using your phone abroad, getting your money exchanged at a bank or hotel and not at the exchange centers that take an exorbitant cut, and check with your credit card company about overseas purchases. Gas is much more expensive in Canada too, so if you can, fill up stateside. Oh, and don’t forget your passport!

There you go; five tips to help you for your first time visiting Rogers Centre. If you’re bringing the kids, remember Saturday is Jr. Jays day, and that’s when the kids can get their face painted and run the bases and stuff.

And relax, because you know a game will be played in this ballpark whatever the weather.

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Toronto being the metropolis that it is, there are many answers to the question of the best way to get to Rogers Centre for a Blue Jays game (or a concert or Argonauts game, for that matter). You can drive or use the many TTC options.

But unless you’re living or staying within a couple of miles of the ballpark, I highly recommend using GO Transit.

Like most train lines, they feature a helpful schedule.

GO stands for Government of Ontario; the transit system originally began as a suburban rail line along the shore of Lake Ontario, and has since been extended to serve most of the southern half of the province.

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There are currently seven rail lines reaching as far as Niagara Falls—so one can technically enjoy the Falls and a ballgame in the same day, if you’d like to throw a romantic bone to your non-baseball fan significant other (or leave him/her there while you get on with more serious business).

Apparently there is a different boarding area for weekday trains.

GO is good for any baseball fans living near the rail lines. All of the routes lead to Union Station in downtown, which is a short walk through an indoor skywalk to Rogers Centre.

The train ride is smooth, reasonably fast (although not as fast, say, driving on the Q.E.W. during those rare non-peak times), and while it’s not the cheapest form of travel, it’s still probably better for 1-3 people than using the gas to drive to a game and pay the hefty Rogers Centre parking fee.

Lots of Jays fans use GO to get to the ballpark. Despite the capacity of the multi-level trains, they can reach standing room crowd level especially after a high attendance matchup.

These fans already know the best way to get to Rogers Centre.

This makes things nice and easy for the Toronto neophyte, who can follow the blue shirts through the Skywalk to Rogers, but you should stand on the ends of the platform, where there are fewer people trying to get a seat.

If you don’t get a seat, you shouldn’t have to wait too many stops before enough people get off.

The only real complaint about GO that Jays fans have is the infrequency of service. On weekends, which is when the most fans show up for games, the trains only run once an hour and there isn’t any additional Jays game service. You might want to take a ride up to the top of the CN Tower or take a walk downtown while everyone files out on the first train.

Mastering the ticket machine is always the tricky part of public transit.

It’s also a little pricey…it’s probably about the same as what you’d be paying for gas if you took your car, if by some miracle you could find a free spot. But that’s assuming no traffic, which is an assumption you should never make in Toronto.

But for the best way to get to Rogers Centre from the suburbs, GO is probably the ideal option for fans.

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The Rogers Centre food situation has been improving, and today the Jays’ home features a fairly impressive menu, even if it’s not quite as varied and full of gourmet options as some ballparks. After doing my customary and thoughtful walkthrough, I found three items that are certainly worth trying if you’re wondering what to eat:

Because the 3.048 decimeter long dog doesn’t sound as tasty.

Rogers Centre Food, Tip #1: The Garrison Creek Home Run Footlong Dog. OK, just call it a Home Run Dog or Garrison Footlong if you don’t want to say all that when you’re debating what to get with your date. But this puppy is one nicely dressed dog, different from any I’ve seen at a ballpark.

It’s a footlong dog obviously (and come to think of it, why isn’t it a two-decimeter dog or whatever the metric version of it would be?), but it’s thicker than most ballpark footlongs…and it’s adorned with maple flavored baked beans, cheddar and bacon bits.

You could just put bacon bits in maple baked beans and I’d be happy, but add that big dog to it and I might even pay to see a losing team.

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Be like Deion and have “both”.

Rogers Centre Food, Tip #2: Sweet Potato Fries. At the Gourmet Frites stands (and at other stands around the ballpark), you can find appetizing looking sweet potato fries. Judging by the amount of people I saw carrying them around, they’re a pretty popular item here.

The sweet potato fries come with a chipotle style dipping sauce, so it’s not something you can walk around eating, but it isn’t healthy to walk while eating anyway. And I’m guessing that people who choose sweet potato fries are looking for a healthier choice over just plain old potato fries.

Bacon gravy…there’s no wrong amount.

Rogers Centre Food, Tip #3: The Hogtown Stak. The Hogtown Stak, so I’ve read, is a creation of executive chef Elizabeth Rivasplata, who the Blue Jays hired both for her cool name and to answer the knock on the lack of gourmet options here.

It’s a truly amazing plate of baseball food…russet potato fries smothered with pulled pork, farmer’s sausage and smoked bacon gravy. Red jalapenos too, so be ready for the kick. It’s big; you’re probably want to share it. Find them at the Muddy York as I write this.

There are plenty of other choices of Rogers Centre food; I mean no disrespect to Liberty Village sausage poutine or the multitude of choices at the Muddy York Market. Or the impressive selection of nachos.

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There’s no shortage of a selection of food at Rogers Centre, but as in any ballpark, it’s expensive. Fortunately, if you want to bring food into Rogers Centre, you can…and you have some great alternatives just outside.

Free hot dog if you can properly pronounce the name of this cart!

Some ballparks have a better outside vendor scene than others. Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are among the best, but so are Yankee Stadium and Camden Yards…which would suggest that a good choice of outside vendors is actually more due to a ballpark’s location than its age.

Being in the heart of downtown Toronto, Rogers Centre fits into this category, but it’s not quite the same sort of activity. Outside, the food carts selling hot dogs and sausages are plentiful largely because the Blue Jays allow them on the grounds. Torontonians refer to the vendors’ wares as “street meat”, an appropriate appellation.

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I like “street meat” better than the dubious sounding “meat in the street”.

In Toronto, Rogers Centre is surrounded by such carts. Many of them are operated by Shopsy’s, a popular local deli, or Yves, a manufacturer of veggie dogs and burgers. But some of them are operated by local Joes just making a buck.

The carts on the Rogers Centre grounds don’t differ much in their offerings: they mostly sell large dogs, sausages, and veggie versions of both.

I don’t think any of us truly appreciate what our world would be like without condiments.

The neat thing is the condiment choices; you can pile anything from chopped onions, hot peppers, pickles, sauerkraut, even bacon bits if you’re lucky. The dogs are also hefty, making them well worth the price.

While the carts on the grounds of the stadium certainly can handle your hot dog or even your vegetarian “meat” fix, there are some extra options if you’re willing to venture onto Front Street north of the ballpark: during my visit, there was a Don Juan’s truck, whose fries are very popular, and I also spotted a truck called Crazy Fries, which sells burgers along with dogs and the ever-popular poutine (fries with gravy and cheese).

The policy to bring food into Rogers Centre is quite lenient. You can even bring a whole pizza, I’ve read. If you’d like to see what’s in the neighborhood as far as street food, check out the “Toronto Food Trucks” website.

How do they get that pig roaster inside the truck?

It’s not that the inside food at Rogers Centre is awful by any means—they have good-sized dogs, popular sweet potato fries and an impressive selection of nachos among many other things. But as always, the stuff is quite overpriced inside, and maybe it’s just me, but it seemed even more so at Rogers.

So if you not only want to save a buck but get a tasty hunk of ballpark food, talk a walk around and go for the street meat.

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A quick glance at a road atlas reveals that unlike any other MLB city, Toronto isn’t in the United States. If you’re headed to Toronto for a Blue Jays game, you should probably be aware of some tips for visiting Canada.

What’s all that French stuff on the schedule?

That’s a cool thing, of course, because it makes you the ballpark roadtripper an international traveler! But it also means that you’ll be entering a foreign country, maybe for the first time, and if you do there are definitely some important things to know.

Here are three that I consider pretty important:

Someone forgot to bring quarters again. Happens every day.

Tips For Visiting Canada, #1: Have a passport. Yes, you’ll need one of these even just driving your car across the border into Canada, and you’ll have to go through a customs service if you’re flying so they want to know you have permission to enter. This didn’t used to be the case, but it’s something you need to know now.

Sometimes there are long delays at the border because someone forgot something pretty important. Don’t be one of them.

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Use your Canadian credit card.

Tips For Visiting Canada, #2: Be sure you can use your phone. I learned the hard way that my phone service didn’t cover me in Canada…I had to send e-mails to my wife from the hotel and tell her to call me there. Eventually I got myself a phone card which helped, but it will save you a big headache if you know beforehand if you can use your phone there.

And you’ll be surprised at how much you miss it.

It’s that American dollar sign that throws off foreigners.

Tips For Visiting Canada, #3: Be aware of money transactions. Get your money exchanged for Canadian money at a bank or at your hotel; do not use the exchange centers that take a big cut of your cash. Also, check your credit card company and see if they add foreign transaction fees, and if they do, use cash as much as you can because those fees add up.

Remember that you can use American money at most establishments, but you will get Canadian money in return, so as you’re leaving don’t pay for your cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s with an American twenty. It’s a headache turning Canadian dollars back into U.S. dollars, even at TD Bank. Take it from me.

There are some more things to know, but these are the important ones.

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The Blue Jays of 1993, who played in what was then called the SkyDome, and the Blue Jays of 2014 were similar in that the majority of either team’s superstars weren’t home grown talent.

You’d think they never lost a game. Actually, back then they didn’t lose very often.

Joe Carter, Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor and several other stars on the 1993 champs were acquired from other teams, while recent Jays teams featured Colby Rasmus, Melky Cabrera, and R.A. Dickey among others, all of whom were stars before they came north. But it doesn’t seem the same as it did in 1993, when everything seemed to go the Blue Jays’ way.

And like the team, the perception of their home ballpark has changed too.

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Is it still “modern”?

When the Blue Jays consistently finished atop the AL East, their ginormous brand new home had a different name— SkyDome (not “the” SkyDome, just SkyDome). It was named through a fan contest, with the winner receiving lifelong tickets to any events there.

SkyDome was seen as modern, futuristic, the spark of change in baseball venues from stadiums to entertainment centers. SkyDome influenced today’s ballparks in more ways than you probably think.

Sit-down restaurants with a view and chain eateries are common in baseball venues today, but they were a novelty when SkyDome first opened. It was also the first ever venue with a working retractable roof. Today six major league parks have opening roofs, rendering “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain” obsolete as a managing strategy.

At least we’re closer to the field than the hotel rooms…

And there was that hotel attached to the ballpark, with rooms overlooking the field—apparently without consideration that folks may tend to amorous desires in front of thousands, as some did before the hotel made guests sign an agreement not to share their wares in the window. That hasn’t caught on as a ballpark feature, but it still could someday, especially in the minor leagues.

SkyDome, and its features and prices, was the future of ballparks. But just a couple of years later Camden Yards would open for business to rave reviews in Baltimore. Almost overnight, concrete and artificial turf became a serious liability with fans.

This 180-degree change in ballpark design trends coincided with the declining success of the team.

The Jays had won several AL East titles before finally taking the World Series crown in 1992 and 1993, with a team that could pitch, field and hit like few in history. The 1993 Blue Jays roster read like a who’s who of baseball’s biggest stars at the time: Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor, Joe Carter, John Olerud, Juan Guzman, Jack Morris, Rickey Henderson, the list goes on.

So…did the Blue Jays win?

After coming up short in the playoffs a few times, they finally came out on top of the baseball world two years in a row. One of the most iconic moments of baseball history is of Joe Carter leaping into the air running the bases following his World Series-winning home run. A packed-to-capacity crowd that night made so much noise you could barely hear the fireworks in the ballpark.

In its early years, SkyDome was filled to capacity almost every night, and for three seasons the Jays topped the four million mark in attendance, averaging a still today unheard-of 49,000+ per game. This was in the days before the Internet and StubHub…so Blue Jays tickets were extremely tough to get.

But less than a year after Carter’s home run landed into the deliriously ecstatic crowd, baseball went on strike, and like with many teams, the Jays’ attendance crashed as fans everywhere shunned a sport that had sacrificed a World Series to the altar of palpable greed.

Maybe if it was “Mister Rogers Centre”, people would warm up to the name.

The Blue Jays never did bring four million through the turnstiles again, many times averaging just half that amount, especially as the 1993 stars departed and the team’s win totals went downhill for several years. In their recent return to contention with a division title in 2015 and a wild card victory in 2016, they’ve definitely increased their numbers, but in 2016 they still only reached 3.3 million.

Perhaps it’s fitting that the name of the venue has changed. Baseball is still very popular in Toronto, but looking back at the atmosphere and novelty of SkyDome, Rogers Centre almost feels like a different ballpark. It’s still a fine venue in its own right and houses a competitive team, but things seem different today.

People nostalgic for the SkyDome name are no doubt also nostalgic for capacity crowds and World Series games. Any fan can appreciate that. It was a wonderful time in Toronto baseball.

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